For those unfamiliar, we are an uncensored community for fans and lovers of the daytime genre. We have a no-holds-barred atmosphere in regards to the shows, writers, actors etc. but we do not allow member bashing in any form.

You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.

I have just finished watching the first two months of this show (18 episodes) and am really falling in love with it. Previously, I had only had a limited knowledge of one of the most groundbreaking soaps of all time. I never knew the beginning episodes were loosely self contained. Because of this, the show is a little slow in parts, but there are key episodes which show the great potential the show has. The most notable episode to me is Karen's almost Here We Go Again. The actress really proved her worth quite quickly as her then boyfriend told her she was going to have sex with him whether she liked it or not, leading her to retort by asking him if she could have some more tea before he raped her. The word shocked him so much he threw her out. As she told her older brother Barry what happened, he rightfully went back to the boyfriend's place and kicked his ass.

So far this show is so real with the relationships between the characters. There's no over the top lovey dovey or vitriol actions within and between the families so far. No one is a villain or a hero, keeping things very grounded.

The best episode though was the last one I watched, which celebrated New Years Eve. It had everyone from the cast, except the Patels, celebrating the holiday at the Grants, the main family of the show. Seeing all the interactions with everybody else was very refreshing and definitely got me excited for the new year. Happy 1983!

Characters I dislike: Gavin Patel - He's the epitome of a loser. A hustler, I would have been just as pissed as Roger having to see those atrocious cookers on the lawn for weeks. I'll be honest though, with the way he was introduced, I totally thought he was gay. The muscle shirt didn't help. Luckily for me, I know he dies of a brain aneurysm soon enough!

Paul Collins - The patriarch of the Collins clan, he's a right stick in the mud. I don't hate him, but he needs to lighten up a bit. The small story of Annabelle feeling stifled with his constant presence had me wanting to smack him as he basically hovered over her since he had no job and was always bored. At least he joined that conga line at the end. LoL

Bobby Grant - I find him a little boring, mostly thanks to the uninteresting protest story. I like him as the patriarch of the Grants though. Brookside has great family scenes between everyone. Especially with the Grants, I love the sarcasm, the slaps upside the head, and the swearing. LoL

Characters I love: Sheila Grant - I think she became quite popular in the series and it's clear why. I love when she gives her motherly 'tude to her children. She's my ultimate favourite so far.

Annabelle Collins - The matriarch of the Collins clan, she brings a sense of class to Brookside. How she deals with such a sourpuss husband I'll never know. She was so interactive at the Grant party, while he basically stood in the middle of the room like a stubborn mannequin.

Everyone else is great as well. Roger Huntington is such a whiny bitch, but it comes off as hilarious rather than annoying. It's fun to see the way his hot wife, Amanda, deals with his complaints. They've been hinting she might have an affair though. If she has that affair with Barry, the eldest son of Sheila and Bobby, that would bring some great drama to the cul-de-sac, which are actually real houses the show bought instead of using sets. Another reason to love the show.

Karen Grant and Lucy Collins couldn't be more different but both are feisty young women, which I like. The episode where Lucy beats the shit out of her bully with a racket (or whatever it was) is one of my favourites so far. Because of that bully, Lucy could be such a huge bitch though. This girl has no trouble saying whatever the hell she wants. It's quite entertaining. I like how she acts like everyone around her is lesser than, and that she soon will overcome the hurdles of being around the peasants. She's great entertainment.

Damon Grant is a cool kid and I like his dynamic in the family, but I don't like his ugly, dirty friends. I know he eventually gets murdered and even thinking about it makes me want to cry.

Gordon I'm still indifferent on. He's the smart geek type but hasn't seen a lot of focus yet, unlike everybody else. He's one of those overtly smart fuckers though, and I generally either really like or really hate those types, depending on how they come across.

As for future discussion, DO NOT SPOIL what happens in future episodes. The spoiler tab above is your friend. Please and thank you!

I've seen the odd youtube clips. It's amazing how often their little street (Landing? I forget what it was called) has blown up.

Yeah, ultimately, it was a show that was ruined by years of awful stunts and sensationalistic storylines.

There also seemed to be a million different revamps, hence why the cast often changed so much every other year it was on. The show definitely peaked in popularity and creativity in the 80's, though the early 90's also had some of the show's most popular storylines. From about 1994 onwards, it was a slow and painful death.

Here's sort of a documentary that was done on the show and its supposed 10 best/most popular storylines: